By Sarah Klein
A new report published Wednesday shows economic pressures continue to grow for families living in poverty, particularly in Winnipeg.
World Vision and Citizens for Public Justice released a joint report, Poverty at Your Doorstep, featuring detailed snapshots of poverty in five Canadian cities.
“The gap between rich and poor is growing at an alarming rate and too many families are falling through this country’s social safety nets,” said Hugh Brewster, World Vision’s national manager of Canadian Programs. “This report brings home the problem of poverty in Winnipeg where single parent families, Aboriginal families, and youth are struggling.”
The report points to several contributing factors for poverty in Winnipeg, such as the rising costs of living (especially for housing), and how the recession was particularly hard on single-parent families.
Poverty in Winnipeg
- Poverty levels are still above those recorded before the 2008-09 recession, notably among lone parent families, Aboriginal peoples and youth.
- Renewed economic growth is helping to increase average family incomes, but significant disparities exist between the affluent and the poor.
- The child poverty rate rose from a low of 10 per cent in 2008 to 14 per cent in 2010, the third highest ranking among large cities, behind Vancouver and St. John’s.
- The poverty rate for children living in single-parent families reached 40 per cent in 2010, nearly double the national average.
- Aboriginal peoples are dramatically overrepresented among the poor in Winnipeg.
Source: World Vision Canada
